Superchic[k]
Karaoke Superstar
Street date – May 22, 2001
inpop Records recently announced the signing of the highly sought after, Chicago-based band, SUPERCHICK as the label’s first U.S. signing. The band’s debut project, “Karaoke Superstars,” releases worldwide on May 22nd.
Musically, SUPERCHICK refer to themselves as a “super fun pop-punk disco DJ teen power band.” Conceived after
being on the road and listening to the issues teens face; group founder Max Hsu says “life is not a popularity or beauty contest, we1re trying to free America from judging itself by TV standards. When “Baywatch” and “Hooters” are considered family entertainment, than somebody1s got to pull the fire alarm.”
SUPERCHICK is also hitting the broadcast world in a big way. Along with
their album release, the album1s title track, “Karaoke Superstars” will be
featured in the movie The Glass House released through Columbia Pictures
this April. The film stars Leelee Sobieski (Deep Impact,1 Eyes Wide
Shut,1 Jungle 2 Jungle,1 Never Been Kissed1).
In addition, their song “TV Land” is set to be featured in the first episode
and casting special of the new season of “The Real World” on MTV this June and their song “Get Up,” will also be on the show, during the end credits. The songs “Get Up” and “One Girl
Revolution” were already featured on ESPN1s Winter X Games, and “Get Up” was recently featured on the WB show
Jack & Jill.
“We are so excited to be associated with a band like Superchick. Not only is their music fun, memorable and unique, their message resonates with the calling of inpop,” commented the label1s VP/General Manager, Steve Ford. “Their heart to reach kids with the message of Christ1s never-ending love is one we wanted to support. In a world filled with conflicting messages about what is valuable, what is meaningful and what is acceptable, Superchick
stands out like a light on hill with their message of value in Christ, acceptance for who you are and non conformity to the world.”
On their signing with inpop, Hsu stated, “We’re excited about being with in-pop, they’re new, so they’re very flexible and
responsive, yet their
combined staff are incredibly experienced. So it’s a great combination that seems to fit us really well. Plus with Wes and Jeff being 2 of the tallest guys in the biz we can say: ‘our label guys can beat up your label guys.”
SUPERCHICK is a gender-neutral term referring to someone who has figured out who they’re supposed to be. “We
believe that God has a destiny for everyone, a path to greatness,” comments lead-singer Tricia Brock . “Our society only offers a few options, most of which involve being beautiful or rich. We believe that there are many more paths to greatness than looking good.”
Along with opening for Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline at the Gaylord
Entertainment Center in Nashville as part of a live national broadcast in
February, the band will make numerous appearances on this Spring1s Teen
Mania Acquire the Fire events. In addition, SUPERCHICK will also appear on
both the summer and fall legs of the traveling Festival Con Dios, and various other summer festivals, performing to over
500,000 fans by the end of 2001.
Superchick On Superchic[k]
Superchic[k] was conceived after being on the road and listening to the issues junior
high and high school girls face. As you well know, America has become a toxic
environment for kids to grow up in… the only role models available to kids are
beautiful, thin and sexually active. We’ve become a culture where good looking is
valued more than being good.
So many kids find themselves falling short of the TV standard of beautiful people and
they cope with it in any number of harmful ways. We want to give an alternative role
model. While the messages are universal, we wanted a girl up front to talk to the girls
in the audience.
Superchic[k] is a fun, energetic band with 2 girls and 5 guys, including everything from
a DJ to break dancing. It’s an aggressive, catchy all-live mix aimed squarely at high
school and junior high kids. We’ve been playing shows steadily, and have had a terrific
response with kids. Part of our goal is to send them home too exhausted to get into
trouble… It’s aggressive but not angry.
Along with wearing them out, we try to send them home with hope and a sense that they
are loved. So many kids feel like they’re not lovable the way they are… and no
wonder, because everywhere you look, our media drives home the message: thin, beautiful,
sexually active is acceptable, the rest is not.
We’re trying to make the world “safe to be ordinary”. We’re takin biblical truths and
putting them in a very relevant context for the kids…including non-Christians. Our
heart breaks for these kids – especially the 13 and 14 year olds girls who have learned
that there’s a very direct equation between being sexual and getting attention… which
is the closest thing to love many have ever felt.
We’re trying to show them there’s another way.
What is a Superchic[k]?
Superchick is a gender-neutral term referring to someone who has figured out who they’re supposed to be. Everyone can be
a hero, everyone has the capacity to do something amazing with their lives, the trick to it is letting go of our notions that life is primarily a beauty/popularity contest.
A perfect example is the recent commercial for Cingular, that featured an artist with
cerebral palsy who paints beautiful pictures with the paintbrush in his mouth. He was
barely able to speak, but he managed to get out: “I am incredibly lucky”. That guy
understands what superchick is all about… he’s not letting his circumstances define
him. He isn’t trying to be beautiful…rather he creates beauty. We believe that
everyone has a destiny, that everyone can be great.
Superchic[k]
On the Record
We are at the forefront of a change in the way music is made. We are riding the edge of
a wave of self-made music. Cheap computer technology has made record production
available to everyone. Computers have democraticized the record business… anyone can
make a record, anyone can sell it, and 50 million people can hear it if they want to.
The record was made primarily in our basement by ourselves. We know that many
more bands will follow. We know that not everyone will like our record and that some
will be critical of it. We encourage those people, in all sincerity to make their own
records that they like. On our website (www.Superchick.net), you will find detailed
information on how we made our record, and how you can make your own. We look forward
to the freedom of creative expression that will rise up.
Superchic[k] is
Tricia – [front chick]
* only sang in church/weddings/funerals before Superchic[k].
* sisters with Melissa
* met at cor show, auditioned on the spot in front of everyone
* common saying: “boys are bad, God is good”
Melissa – guitar [chick guitar]
* only been playing guitar 2 years, but rocks!
* also plays some drums
* licensed cosmotologist
* songwriter
* also works at Starbucks
* Tricia’s sister
* Judson college, involved in musical groups
* common saying: “anybody can do anything”
MATT – bass [freak boy]
* plays drums, guitar (gives guitar lessons)
* Dad’s a music pastor
* avid skateboarder
* high school youth group leader
* in numerous punk bands
* Ben’s brother
* Supertones have his bag
* common saying: “egg salad! egg salad!”
Dave lead guitar [pharmacist boy]
* also plays jazz piano, bass, drums
* pharmacist from Canada
* played hockey in college
* armenian
* breakdances
* only one who can back up the trailer
* common saying: “I don’t know about that”
Dan – mad scientist [the other guy]
* runs the pyro, custom light signs, confetti cannons, video
* invents stuff – like toilet paper blowers.
* is in the band because we make no distinctions between performers and crew, all are part of the team. (parts of one body)
* common saying: “I’m OK” and “you’re good.”
Ben – drums [the sensitive one]
* also plays some guitar, bass, perc.
* Matt’s brother
* eats only protein powder and tuna on the road
* gave up grad school scholarship to Wheaton to do this
* plays basketball, cross country, baseball, volleyball
* common saying: “ha ha ha ha”
Andrew – percussion, drums, turntables [the fashionable one]
* also plays bass
* married, 1 baby named Skylar,
* can breakdance
* recipient of John Phillip Souza Award, all state orchestra
* high school teacher’s aid
* went to school with Matt and Ben and Dan
* extreme fashion sense (prone to wearing parachute pants)
* common saying: ?
Max Hsu – keys, turntables, guitar, bass, some drums [band mom]
* ZERO (with Ian Eskelin of All Star United)
* contributed tracks Raving Loonatics, Echoing Green, Motion Factory
* has composed stock music that has been used by the following NBC programs:
Dateline, Days of our Lives, Law and Order, Leeza, Meet the Press, Pretender,
Providence, Saturday Night Live, Sportsworld Nascar, Suddenly Susan, Third Watch, Today
Show, Tonight Show, Veronica’s Closet, World’s Most Amazing Videos.
* bad but enthusiastic snowboarder.
* tries to learn one new thing a season.
* was always the 6th man on the basketball team. sat on bench all year.
* Parents are missionaries, grew up in Hong Kong at British school.
* Wheaton Graduate – communications degree
* Long remembered by the dance community for his breakthrough group Zero.
* Recently Max’s production on Nitro Praise SE7EN earned the album a AFIM nomination for an INDIE award.
Superchic[k] Songs
Barlow Girls
An open letter to girls from the boys of Superchic[k]…
Hey, we wanna say something to all the girls… we’re sure most of you girls have
figured out by now that the sexier you dress, the more attention you get. It’s a basic
fact of life. Sometimes when you feel lonely or insecure, that attention can seem like a
really good thing. But even though it feels good, it’s really not good for you… you
deserve to be loved, not just lusted over.
Not Done Yet
When you’re out of options, when you’re out of hope, when there’s no good reason to
carry on, sometimes the only thing left to do is plain, stupid defiant hope. As Kelsey
Grammer has been known to say: “Stagger onward rejoicing”
In the chorus when the lyrics read: “we’ll win in the end” it’s not a surety that I
myself will triumph, but actually the belief that in the end God’s will is realized. In
the very last balancing, God does return and makes all things right. And in the light of
that, some of the rest is a little easier to swallow. The other important point is that
the context is “we”, as in “me and my friends” a point we’ll return to later on. Life is
not meant to be struggled through alone… so as we face our greatest crisis, it is
important for us to seek support, help, feedback. Because alone we are too vulnerable,
too prone to losing perspective and feeling hopeless.
It’s not that we need friends to give us hope, but friends to point to the hope that is
there… the hope we don’t like to see when we’re smack in the middle of a pity party…
The 2nd verse is meaningful to me… when we sin, we tend to sin in patterns. Sin is
rarely an isolated single event, but a pattern, a history. And we read so many books
about sin in which the author conquered it as an event… a final decision and then
sinned no more by the grace of God. While such things do happen and make for great
reading… life isn’t always like that. In AA they talk about 4 seasons.. if you are to
make a change in your life, it’s typically at least 4 seasons of trying before you
change the pattern. I know for me and my struggles, I would continue to sin again and
again and again… and I used to think that I must be doing something wrong after all in
those stories, the people prayed and never drank alchohol again, whereas I continued to
hate what I was doing yet come back to it… I must have been doing something wrong. How
could God love me when all my earnest promises were for nothing? Well in the end, ! I
learned that it’s a trick of Satan to make us feel like we’re the unlovable ones, that
Satan wants us to believe that God has as little patience as us human beings.. that God
has given up on us for our inability to change.. which only makes us want to see God
less… when at the moment of sin we most need to see God. A story that helps me relates
to a priest giving communion and coming to a girl who was sobbing deeply and refused to
take it.. he offered it to her again with these words: “go on lass.. it’s for sinners”
and that reminds me, that when I fall and make my stupid mistakes, that we’re all
sinners and that by the grace of God, we are forgiven to try again.
Karaoke Superstars
a karaoke superstar is someone who is singing along with the radio at the top of their
lungs (preferably with hand motions and hairbrush microphones) because they think no one
is watching. Yet I think that unself-conscious state is how we should live.. Instead of
letting other people’s withering disdain cripple our movements, we should paint, write,
sing, live, talk about Jesus with all the natural enthusiasm of children. We consider
the karaoke superstar a state to strive for, a way to live that reflects not caring if
other people think you look stupid when you try things.
TV LAND
Trying to make the world “safe to be ordinary”. That’s our motto. When you grow up in a
normal community, you see all kinds of people… old people, young people, fat people,
skinny people, pretty people, ugly people… it all ends up being real life.. yet what
we’ve done with our “global village” our TV Land is to populate it with only young and
pretty people, until we’ve normalized the supermodel. And as silly as it is, sometimes I
need to remind myself that television is not real… that it’s an airbrushed fantasyland
that
exists largely to sell products. Real life can seem so humdrum after MTV… on those
shows no one ever sits at home on Saturday nights… and it’s easy to feel inadequate
when measured next to that. So repeat after me…TV is make believe…but I am real…
TV is make believe… but I am real…
Get Up
This song is about trying. I believe God intends us to be risk takers. I wonder how many
potential Billy Grahams and Mother Theresa’s we have lost because someone didn’t step
forward to take the destiny God intended for them. When Peter left the boat to walk on
water, mostly we remember that he sank. But what I remember is this:
1. Peter was the only disciple who dared to leave the boat.
2. Peter walked on water!
I hope in my heart that when I look back on my life, I will have lived it in a way that
shows that I was not afraid to leave the boat to walk towards Jesus.
One Grrrl Revolution
This song is obviously hyperbole… much akin to rap music’s over the top approach. Yet
it continues the Superchic[k] theme that fear of what people think keeps us from God’s
incredible plan for us.. A worried friend of mine came over to borrow a Superchic[k] CD
the other day because his 6 year old daughter was singing “I’m not that innocent” (the
words to the current britney spears single) And if she was going to parrot words, he
wanted her to at least sing things with a positive vibe.. so this song is for her.
Help me out God
I wrote a little blurb to explain this song, but I found something that explains it
better:
how long o God will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer O Lord my God,
Give light to my eyes
or I will sleep in death
Alright
For those of us that are fretting over life, this is a simple reminder to
schedule some time not to worry. 🙂 I’m especially fond of the last verse and
the concept that it’s easier to hope for someone else than it is for
yourself, and thus by hoping for and believing in each other we can make the
trials of life easier to bear.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has trouble of it’s own”
Matthew 6:34
Big Star Machine
I was on my way to church, and a friend of mine commented that we should do ”
church makeovers” for some of the “fashionably-challenged” church-goers.
However, as I sat there, it occurred to me–perhaps we were seeing it all
wrong. I spent much of my adolescence trying to convince people that
Christians were also “cool”. I was always hoping to find Christian kids in
the popular set. Being a Christian just wan’t very…well…trendy.
Now I finally get it.
Church is for losers. Christianity is for losers. It’s true. You see, the ”
popular” people, “trendy” people, “hip” people…they’re all winners. The
problem with being “popular”, “trendy” or “hip” is that for a small group of
people to be considered “cool”, a large group of people have to be considered
“not cool”. “Cool”, by it’s nature, is exclusionary. As some become
“winners”, so “losers” are also created. It’s the nature of the “big star
machine”. Today, these people are “cool”; those people are not. These people
are “winners”; those people are losers.
And that’s where Christianity comes into the picture.
In Christ’s eyes, the titles of “winners” and “losers” don’t exist. Winners
or losers, Christ loves us the same. So…church is for losers. Or, you
could say church is for winners–since, to Christ, there are no losers. W
hat’s fantastic about that is that the pressure is off. The edge of
desperation you see on some people–who really hope they’re still “with it”
–just isn’t relevant anymore. Because God loves us no matter what–no
matter how much success we never gain, no matter how thin or beautiful we’re
not, no matter how trendy we are not. That’s the simple truth of it. God
loves you and will always love you–unlike the “big star machine” where
you’re only a day away from “where are they now?”
So, the next time someone tells you that “church is for losers”, just smile
and tell them that it certainly is. And when they’re sick of chasing the ”
big star machine”, there’s always a place for them at the church.
LET IT BE
Let It Be is telling us to hand God all those things that have been said or done to us
that have stuck with us… or we are holding onto without even knowing… all those
things that weigh us down like a backpack full of bricks. God desires that we be free of
the burden, all we have to do is ask that He take it away.
It’s about learning to see ourselves the way God sees us and forgetting that person you
see when you look in the mirror. We need to see ourselves through God’s eyes and learn
that the things we thought were ugly outside don’t matter much to Him… but some things
that we forgot to clean up inside are much more important to Him. And you can’t cover those things with makeup.
SUPER TROOPER SPOTLIGHT
Let’s not look back on our lives and have to say that we wish we had done more for God,
let’s take every chance we get to tell people how much we love God, and how His love has
changed our lives!! We need to stop taking the safe route, stop hiding the joy that
only God brings to your life, and stop being afraid to tell the world what you believe.
We all are here for a reason, and have been equipped in some way to bring some light
into this dark world, so let’s not take that for granted, let’s live life to the full,
let’s take a risk, let’s try out for the leading role… let’s be God’s spotlight to the
world…. shine that light everywhere we go!
Superchic[k] On the Move …
This band is committed to being on the road – and we are committed to getting them in
front of kids. Here’s what’s happening now:
Superchic[k[ has been performing for the Acquire The Fire conferences. Each event
averages 5,000+ kids a weekend.
Acquire the Fire:
4/7 Nashville
4/21 Dallas
4/28 Baltimore
5/5 San Marcos, TX
5/12 Pittsburgh
Superchic[k] will be opening for the Shine Around The World concert on Feb 23 in
Nashville for Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline. This concert will also be broadcast into
over 200 churches plus 20+ mega gatherings. Superchic[k] will get around 7-10 minutes of
the broadcast
Festival Con Dios
Superchic[k] will be featured on all dates for the Festival Con Dios with Newsboys,
Audio Adrenaline and Supertones taking place May 17- June 17 and September. Following is
a tentative routing of the tour:
5/17 Pensacola, FL
5/18 Fort Myers, FL
5/19 West Palm Beach, FL
5/20 Lakeland, FL
5/25 Amarillo, TX/Tulsa, OK
5/26 Oklahoma City, OK
5/27 Joplin, MO
5/28 Wichita, KS
5/31 Mount Vernon, NJ
6/1 Long Island, NY
6/2 Salisbury, MD/Fairfax, VA
6/3 Raleigh, NC
6/7 Albuquerque, NM
6/8 Grand Junction, CO
6/9 Colorado Springs, CO
6/10 Scottsbluff, NE/Omaha NE
6/14 South Bend IN/Omaha NE
6/15 Des Moines, IA
6/16 Sioux Falls,SD/ Rapid City, SD
6/17 Minot, ND
9/13 Cleveland, OH/Akron/Youngstown
9/14 Detroit, MI
9/15 Grand Rapids, MI
9/16 Chicago, IL
9/19 Biose, ID
9/20 Portland, OR
9/21 Medford, OR/ Sacramento, Ca
9/22 Sacramento/Visalia, CA
9/23 Riverside/Lompoc/Visalia, CA
9/27 Midland, TX
9/28 Dallas, TX
9/29 Houston, TX
9/30 San Antonio, TX
They are considering taking the tour into early October.
ALL DATES ARE TENTATIVE AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Superchic[k] has been confirmed for the next Newsboys tour following the Con Dios tour.
Superchick — with all those concert dates lined up, they are SURE to be at a concert hall near you sometime soon! Related Links:
Superchic[k] GMA Interview
Superchick Contest
Superchick on MTV
The Christian Activities Superchick Forum is at: Superchick Forum
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